08/09/2026

SPORTS TUESDAY | SEPT 8, 2026 28 Electric Alcaraz Spaniard senses title chance after cruising into quarters C ARLOS ALCARAZ believes he can cap ture a second consecutive US Open title after shaking off any lingering injury concerns, cruising into the quarterfi capable of winning the tournament. I still have the same expectations. I still have the same mentality of knowing that every time I step on court is a gift and it is a moment to enjoy.”

TRAMLINES Shelton book last eight clash with Carlitos

EIGHTH-SEEDED Ben Shelton overpow ered former world No. 3 Stefanos Tsitsipas 6-2, 6-3, 6-4 yesterday to book a US Open quarterfinal date with defending champion Carlos Alcaraz. Shelton dominated on serve and blasted a dozen aces and never faced a break point in a match lasting just one hour and 52 minutes. Shelton put 71% of his first serves in play and won 84 percent of those points.

comes to you. I was ready for a battle. “I was trying to be aggressive all

the time… I did well to put pressure on his return, which helped me stay calm and to think clearly. I was really happy with the perform ance.” Alcaraz hit a rocket of a forehand to bring up matchpoint, another sign that he was reaching the peak of his powers at a venue where he has thrived ever since his maiden Grand Slam tri umph four years ago. “I think so,” Alcaraz said when asked about being back to his best in New York, where he has reached the quarterfinals in five of his six appearances now. “It shows how special this place is to me, I’m just enjoying myself on court here. “It doesn’t matter that I was out for over four months.

The seven-times Grand Slam champion has looked increasingly comfortable with each round and has now reached the US Open quar terfinals for the fifth time in six appearances. He also continued a curious pattern at the majors, with all three of his previous Grand Slam wins over Paul coming en route to the title, at Wimbledon in 2024, Roland Garros in 2025 and this year’s Australian Open. “It makes you happy when you know those things, but it doesn’t mean anything,” Alcaraz said. “I always say there is a first time for every thing, so let’s try to make sure it doesn’t happen. “For me it is still a gift to be able to compete once again and play another quarterfinal here at the US Open, so I’m going to try to enjoy it and give my best. “I tried to play to my style. Tommy’s such a talented player and his shots are pretty danger ous and it’s difficult to control the ball when it

nals with a high-voltage performance yesterday. The 23-year-old kept rolling at Flushing Meadows, reasserting his status as tournament favourite with a commanding 6-4, 6-3, 6-4 win over American Tommy Paul, extending his Grand Slam winning streak to 18. Alcaraz had downplayed expectations in the early rounds, with the tournament in New York marking his first competitive test since a wrist injury sidelined him for nearly five months. Now, though, the Spaniard believes he has the game to go all the way, even as enjoying every moment on court remains his guiding pri ority. “At the beginning of the tournament I didn’t have any expectations. I just came here to see how my body would react, especially my wrist, and above all to enjoy being back competing,” Alcaraz told reporters. “After four really good matches, now I feel

“I was focused today,” said Shelton, a 2023 US Open semi finalist. “I played a complete match from start to finish.” Now he awaits Alcaraz, the seven-time Grand Slam champion who opted to make the US Open his first tournament back from a four-month injury layoff. The Spaniard delivered his most convincing display of the tournament in a 6-4, 6-3, 6-4 victory over American Tommy Paul, and Shelton said it would take “special tennis” to beat him. “I think the level that he’s been playing at is really, really impressive,” Shelton said. “I think it’s going to be fireworks.” Pegula tops Cirstea

“Every time I come here I play well.” – Reuters/AFP

Sabalenka surges past Townsend

ARYNA SABALENKA kept her US Open three-peat bid alive yesterday, charging into the US Open quarterfi nals with a confidence boosting vic tory over tricky American Taylor Townsend. Sabalenka took everything the multi-faceted Townsend threw at her to emerge with a 6-4, 6-3 victory, winning the last five games to push her Flushing Meadows win streak to 17 matches. “I love matches like that, because it was really challenging, and going through tough challenges and over coming those challenges, it defi nitely gives you strength and really strong belief that you can do it,” Sabalenka said. “So these kind of matches is really, really, really like a boost of confidence.” Sabalenka is vying to become just the third woman, after Chris Evert and Serena Williams, to win three straight US Open titles. She’ll have to lift the trophy just to have a chance of retaining her world No. 1 ranking, and even if she does her time at the top could end in New York, where second-ranked Elena Rybakina needs only to reach the semis to be assured of ascend ing. “I completely separate myself from that, because it’s just guessing,” Sabalenka said of the multiple No. 1 scenarios – which could also see third-ranked Jessica Pegula or even No. 4 Coco Gauff end the tourna

ment at the top. “I’m just trying to bring my best tennis every time I’m competing out there and basically fight for it,” she added. The match opened with five breaks of serve before Sabalenka managed a comfortable hold for a 4 2 first-set lead and pocket the first set, saving a break point before put ting it away with a trademark fore hand winner. “She was returning really well,” Sabalenka said. “She saw where I’m going. She was blocking really well. I guess playing doubles and mixed doubles really helped her to react on, like, heavy serve. “That was really chal

FORMER US Open finalist Jessica Pegula defeated Sorana Cirstea of Romania in straight sets yesterday to advance to the quarterfinals at Flushing Meadows. Third-seeded Pegula, one of the players who could supplant Aryna Sabalenka atop the world rankings in New York, needed 84 minutes to polish off the 6-3, 6-4. Both sets followed a similar pattern, an aggressive Pegula jumping out to big leads before the Romanian cleaned up her play enough to narrow the lead, but not enough to catch up to the American. Pegula wrapped up the first set in 38 minutes with a break of Cirstea’s serve. In the second Cirstea twice recovered breaks, but Pegula broke her one more time to seal the win. The American clinched the victory when she got the upper hand in a rally and even tually forced an error out of Cirstea, who bowed out of her final Grand Slam having said she’ll retire at the end of the season. Pegula said that if she was the one to close the curtain on Cirstea’s efforts on the major stage, she wanted to make sure that the Romanian knew how much she admired not only the way she competed. “I just told her, I don’t know if you’re still going to play next year, but you’re playing great,” she said. “I think she’s just had a really nice perspective as far as the interviews she’s given, especially this year, and why she’s playing so well and at a different point in her career.” Noskova edges Kostyuk WIMBLEDON champion Linda Noskova reached the quarterfinals of the US Open yesterday, edg ing Ukraine’s Marta Kostyuk in three sets. The Czech Noskova, who has largely flown under the radar in New York despite winning Wimbledon, beat Kostyuk 7-5, 5-7, 6-4, finally sealing the win on her sixth match point when Kostyuk netted a backhand return. “I an more than relieved,“ Noskova said after booking a last-eight show down with two-time defending champion Aryna Sabalenka. “This match was so tough, emotion ally more so than physically.” Kostyuk said after the match that she has been playing with a right wrist injury and planned to get an MRI now that the tournament is over. “I wasn’t 100% for sure,“ said Kostyuk, who smiled in the later stages of the second as the crowd “started going crazy” as she saved match points. “I’ve never had the whole stadium cheer for me like this, and it was so loud, and yeah, I wanted to soak it in, and it kept going until the rest of the match,“ she said. “So it was incredible. So nothing else but smile about it.”

lenging beginning, but then I had to adjust my serve, the speed, the spin, bring the variety into my service games just so I keep her guessing.” The second set unfolded in more tradi tional style, neither player facing a break point through the first three games. Sabalenka blinked first, smacking a forehand into the net to give Townsend a 3-1 lead. Sabalenka imme diately broke back, how ever, launching a run of five straight games to take the match. – AFP

Aryna Sabalenka celebrates after winning her fourth-round match against Taylor Townsend (not pictured) at the US Open in Flushing Meadows, New York yesterday. – AFPPIC

Tiafoe tops Medvedev in straight sets AMERICAN Frances Tiafoe swept past former champion Daniil Medvedev in straight sets yes terday to advance to the quarterfinals of the US Open.

win over Carlos Alcaraz at the prestigious Indian Wells tournament. But Medvedev, who has reached six career Grand Slam finals, failed this year to advance beyond the round of 16 at any Grand Slam. Medvedev served for the first set, but was broken at 6-5 and then lost the tiebreaker deci sively. Too often, Medvedev was unable to consoli date lead. He hit a brilliant backhand overhead to take a 4-3 lead in the third-set tiebreaker, but followed it up with a feeble backhand error. Still, the Russian held a set point in the third set tiebreaker. But Tiafoe got the better of a net exchange between the men, then proceeded to take the next two points to seal the win. “I should have played better in some moments of the match,” Medvedev said. – AFP

never lost. After the match, Tiafoe stood before the crowd and pointed to his ear, asking for noise. He also took a virtual basketball shot, acknowl edging hoop stars Lisa Leslie, AJ Dybantsa and Victor Oladipo who were in his cheering sec tion. “The energy has been amazing,”Tiafoe told a court-side interviewer. “It’s like the people’s court. I’m loving the energy for sure.” Medvedev had won six of seven prior matches against the American, including a straight-set drubbing in the same round of the 2020 US Open. But Medvedev, who won the US Open in 2021 for his only Grand Slam, has had an up and-down 2026. He has won two ATP titles and notched a

A two-time semifinalist at New York’s Flushing Meadows, the 11th-seeded Tiafoe defeated seventh-seeded Medvedev of Russia 7-6 (7-1), 6-4, 7-6 (8-6) to reach the quarterfinals for the fourth time in five years. Medvedev held leads in two of the three sets, but was outplayed by the American at key junctures. “I played well when it counted,” Tiafoe said. “Yeah, I came up with some crazy stuff, but it had to be that good against such a quality player in Daniil.” Tiafoe enjoyed loud support from the crowd in Louis Armstrong Stadium, where he has